1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope including a bending lever for pulling and loosening a bending wire in an operation portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
An endoscope which allows observation or the like by inserting an elongated insertion portion into a subject is widely utilized. There is a type of endoscope which includes a bending portion on a distal end side of the insertion portion. The bending portion is generally configured to perform a bending operation by pulling and loosening a bending wire by turning a bending lever, for example, which is a bending operation device provided in the operation portion.
For example, in an endoscope apparatus in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-218569, a bending wire configured by connecting a traction wire on one side and a traction wire on another side by a wire connecting mechanism is illustrated. The wire connecting mechanism is configured by a male screw pipe sleeve to which an end portion of the traction wire on one side is fixed, and a female screw pipe sleeve to which an end portion of the traction wire on the other side is fixed, and the bending wire is configured by uniting the male screw pipe sleeve and the female screw pipe sleeve by screwing.
According to the configuration, tension of the bending wire can be adjusted by adjusting a screwing amount of the male screw pipe sleeve and the female screw pipe sleeve.
In a case of providing the wire connecting mechanism provided in a drum portion illustrated in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-218569 inside the operation portion of the endoscope illustrated in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-190047 or inside the operation portion of the endoscope illustrated in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-189684 for example, disposition inside the operation portion illustrated in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-190047 is relatively easy.